Washington (CNN) - Just three days after announcing he was forming a presidential exploratory committee, Mitt Romney made another key hire as he continues to build up his campaign staff.

Romney's exploratory committee announced Thursday that Gail Gitcho will serve as communications director. For Gitcho, who's served as communications director the past year for Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, it's a bit of a homecoming, as she was a regional press secretary for Romney's 2008 bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Prior to her service with Brown, Gitcho was national press secretary for the Republican National Committee and before that worked on Sen. John McCain's 2008 general election campaign. She also was communications director for Rep. Clay Shaw of Florida from 2004 to 2007.

Monday the former Massachusetts governor announced that he was setting up a presidential exploratory committee, which allows Romney to begin to fundraise for a White House bid. Romney raised $65.1 million in contributions for his 2008 bid for the GOP nomination. In addition he loaned his campaign $42.3 million from his personal funds.

Last week Romney announced that a key adviser to his 2008 campaign, Lanhee Chen, was returning as policy director.

LISTEN: Potential Republican candidates for president sure are biding their time and leaving scores of potential staffers waiting in the lurch. CNN Radio's Bob Costantini speaks with a few prospects about delay, up and down the "organizational chart."

soundoff(10 Responses)

Rudy NYC

Mr. Governer, go ahead and commit yourself. Declare yourself as a candidate, G. Most of us are waiting to see if you have the right stuff. All of the right stuff. The parts that count the most in a crisis. Ideas alone will not win the White House, G.

You are not running for Boad Chief at the country club, although he might feel like it at times. That's because of the people who you hang around with and call your friends and allies. You are all one big happy family, an exclusive club. It's called the GOP, G. You need a break out moment, G. You need to show us some courage and fire. Come one, G.

April 14, 2011 10:18 am at 10:18 am |

notfooledbydistractions

Boy, hope he hires a few extra to keep up with all of mitts policy position changes – he flip flops so much that keeping track would be a full time job!

April 14, 2011 10:22 am at 10:22 am |

carrotroot

What Romney needs is a time machine.

April 14, 2011 10:28 am at 10:28 am |

Ernie

CNN Associate Producer Gabriella Schwarz you are only showing the numbers in Flordia, where are your numbers for the rest of the country?. I didn't see them. If all the numbers are the same as in Florida then Obama is a "One and Done" President. There are 17 months till election day a lot can happen now till election day. As of right now Romney if the front runner and he has to stay there. He's going to hace to raise a "Ton" of money that's not counting his own money. If Obama's numbers continue to fall Romney's chances get better and better. Romney should not hire any of McCain's staffers this would be a negative. If Romney is his own man he will select the people that he thinks that will get him elected.
There's 17 months till election time let's see what happens.

April 14, 2011 10:41 am at 10:41 am |

ConservaFascists/FUBAR

Romney flip flops way too much. Prime example is that he has always been primarily pro-choice. Now all of a sudden he's a die hard pro-lifer? I just find it hard to support someone whose views change as much as the weather.

April 14, 2011 10:51 am at 10:51 am |

ThinkAgain

Mitt is being used by Karl Rove to keep the Ken Doll/Mormon sector of the GOP base interested; there's no way the GOP will nominate the flip-flopping, magic underwear-wearing Romney.

April 14, 2011 10:56 am at 10:56 am |

patty

Romney is very scary to imagine????? The White House becomes a "Church". No Thanks?

April 14, 2011 11:18 am at 11:18 am |

Randy, San Francisco

Romney would be a more formidable foe for Obama than the other GOP/Tea Party candidates. The question is how far to the right he has to move to satisfy the wingnut/Tea Party voters during the primary season. If he stakes out a position too far to the right, it may be difficult if not problematic for him to move towards the center during the general election to attract moderate and independent voters. Pushing too hard on social and cultural family values issues to please conservatives will also hurt his efforts at attracting centrist voters.

April 14, 2011 11:23 am at 11:23 am |

PalmReader

Apparently GOPer hopefuls would rather spend their time being glorified by their adorning crowds than actually announce, which would then force themselves to address and answer questions from those of us who will also be asked to support their efforts of becoming President. Spending too much time kissing up to their base isn't exactly going to get any one of these fools the necessary votes needed by ALL of America, and certainly not by insulting our intelligence with their *core value* pandering nonsense set to inflame us in their negative and unending rhetoric directed AT us and our own beliefs.

April 14, 2011 11:30 am at 11:30 am |

Sebastian

President Obama is not extreme enough for Romney to win despite what partisan GOP talking points might say.

Romney proudly took credit for a healthcare program that is JUST LIKE the one the Democrats passed through Congress and the President signed. There is video evidence of him "crowing" about it. He can't outrun that.

For all his bluster, Romney knows nothing about being president. Obama holds the office and is in the hot seat EVERY day.

And as far has him being a business man that knows economics and how to turn around the US economy – well, that's just not the truth. What he knows is how to do LEVERAGED BUYOUTs of American companies with other people's money, collect OUTRAGEOUS, WALL STREET FEEs for "putting the deal together".

He then ships jobs overseas to lower labor costs in countries that don't have an American-level of concern for the environment or workplace safety. Any "profits" come from trading American worker stability to create these cost synergies – that's how merger and aquisitions at Romney's former firm works folks. They don't CREATE or INNOVATE any products or services. They simply shuffle paper, plants & people around and SKIM off the cream. That will do NOTHING to turn the American economy around.

Jobs are created when new, innovative products displace competitors [think of lightweight LCD TVs compared to traditional ones] or meet a new market demand that didn't exist before [think of the Apple IPOD & IPAD].